Match-safe.



-PA TENTED new. s, 1903.

J. J. SULLIVAN.

v MATCH SAFET A'PPLIOATION I ILED,M'AB.. 8, 1902.

JJ, Say/aw; We

- NO MODEL.

' described and claimed.

UNITED STATES Patented embele, 1903.

MATCH-SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,710, dated October 6, 1903.

Application filed March 8, 1902. Serial No. 97,336. (No model.)

To 00M whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Genesee, in the county of Potter and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Match-Safe, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to matchsafes, and particularly to that class employing a standard provided with match-engaging means, combined with a holder adapted upon upward movement to bring a match into position to be selected by the engaging means and upon downward movement to bring the match .to a position to permit of its being readily grasped by the user.

The object of the invention is in a ready, simple, feasible, and thoroughly-practical manner and solely by the movement of the holder to effect not only the lifting of a match from the interior of the holder to the exterior thereof, but to trip the match to cause it to occupy a vertical position.

With these and other objects in View, as-

will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a match-safe, as will be hereinafter fully In the accompanying drawings, forming a 1 part of this specification, and inwhichlike numerals of referenceindicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may he varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a match-safe constructed in ac base of the match-safe, 2 a standard rigidly secured thereto, and 8 the match-holder.

The base 1 and standard 2 may be made of wood or of cast metal and the holder 3 of sheet metal, or, if preferred, it may be made of wood, as shown. The holder comprises a hopper-shaped body 4 and a neck 5 of a size snugly to fit the standard, but to Work thereon with sufiicient freedom to insure ready operation of the device. The opposedfaces of the ends 5 of the holder are provided with vertical grooves 6, in which the edges of the standard work and are thereby guided for proper operation and positivelyheld against any rocking movement. The-standard is of somewhat greater width than the length of a match, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and is provided at one side of its upper portion with a notch or recess '7, over which one end of the match normally projects. The upper end of the standard is provided with a groove or channel 8, (best shown in Fig. 2,) in which the match rests until tripped to'the position shown in'Fig. 4, the grooved end of the standard When the holder is down projecting through a slot 9 in the cover 10 of the holder, the said slot being of somewhat greater length than the terminal of the standard in order to permit of the match. being tripped, as will clearly be understood by reference to Fig. 4. The match-tripping device 11 consists of a strip of resilient material, such as rubber or the like, which is secured tot-he under side of the cover and projects slightly beyond the terminal of the slot 9, disposed over the recess '7, by which arrangement when the holder is down, as shown in Fig. 4, the match will be held in a vertical position by being clamped between the tripping device and the vertical wall of the recess 7, and all danger of igniting the match when removing it from the holder will be eliminated by the yielding character of the said device.

The cover 10 is herein shown as held associated with the body by two headed pins 12, engaging slots in one side of the cover, and by a turn-button l3, engaging a slot in the opposite side thereof; but it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to this precise manner of associating the cover with the holder, as it may be hinged thereto or have a sliding connection therewith and still be within the scope of the invention, and as this will be readily understood detailed illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

As a means for holding the body associated with the standard the latter is provided with a vertical slot 14, engaged by a pin 15,'projecting through the walls of the neck, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The base is provided in this instance on one of its sides with a suitable striking-surface 16,Which may be a piece of sandpaper or abrasive substance applied thereto.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A match-safe comprising a base, a standard secured thereto and having its upper end the match projects, a holder having a tapered bottom, and a sleeve to fit the standard, means for limiting the movement of said sleeve on the standard, a removable cover for said holder provided with a slot whose Width exceeds that of the head of a match and whose length is greater than that of the top of the standard which normally projects upward through said slot, and match-tripping means comprising a strip of rubber secured to the under surface of said cover and extending across one end of the slot in said cover.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J. SULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

J. L. SULLIVAN, H. L. MOON. 

